men of invention and industry-第53节

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mountains　of　Connemara　to　Clifden　and　Letterfrack；　and　through

the　lovely　pass　of　Kylemoor　to　Leenane；　along　the　fiord　of

Killury；　then　on；　by　Westport　and　Ballina　to　Sligo。　　Letters　were

posted　daily　by　my　young　friend；　and　every　day　we　went　forwards

in　safety。



But　how　lonely　was　the　country！　　We　did　not　meet　a　single

American　tourist　during　the　whole　course　of　our　visit；　and　the

Americans　are　the　most　travelling　people　in　the　world。　　Although

the　railway　companies　have　given　every　facility　for　visiting

Connemara　and　the　scenery　of　the　West　of　Ireland；　we　only　met　one

single　English　tourist；　accompanied　by　his　daughter。　　The

Bianconi　long　car　between　Clifden　and　Westport　had　been　taken　off

for　want　of　support。　　The　only　persons　who　seemed　to　have　no　fear

of　Irish　agrarianism　were　the　English　anglers；　who　are　ready　to

brave　all　dangers；　imaginary　or　supposed；　provided　they　can　only

kill　a　big　salmon！　　And　all　the　rivers　flowing　westward　into　the

Atlantic　are　full　of　fine　fish。　　While　at　Galway；　we　looked　down

into　the　river　Corrib　from　the　Upper　Bridge；　and　beheld　it

literally　black　with　the　backs　of　salmon！　　They　were　waiting　for

a　flood　to　enable　them　to　ascend　the　ladder　into　Lough　Corrib。　

While　there；　1900　salmon　were　taken　in　one　day　by　nets　in　the

bay。



Galway　is　a　declining　town。　　It　has　docks；　but　no　shipping；

bonded　warehouses；　but　no　commerce。　　It　has　a　community　of

fishermen　at　Claddagh；　but　the　fisheries　of　the　bay　are

neglected。　　As　one　of　the　poor　men　of　the　place　exclaimed；

〃Poverty　is　the　curse　of　Ireland。〃　　On　looking　at　Galway　from　the

Claddagh　side；　it　seems　as　if　to　have　suffered　from　a

bombardment。　　Where　a　roof　has　fallen　in；　nothing　has　been　done

to　repair　it。　　It　was　of　no　use。　　The　ruin　has　been　left　to　go

on。　　The　mills；　which　used　to　grind　home…grown　corn；　are　now

unemployed。　　The　corn　comes　ready　ground　from　America。　　　Nothing

is　thought　of　but　emigration；　and　the　best　people　are　going；

leaving　the　old；　the　weak；　and　the　inefficient　at　home。　　〃The

labourer；〃　said　the　late　President　Garfield；　〃has　but　one

commodity　to　sellhis　day's　work；　it　is　his　sole　reliance。　　He

must　sell　it　to…day；　or　it　is　lost　for…ever。〃　　And　as　the　poor

Irishman　cannot　sell　his　day's　labour；　he　must　needs　emigrate　to

some　other　country；　where　his　only　commodity　may　be　in　demand。



While　at　Galway；　I　read　with　interest　an　eloquent　speech

delivered　by　Mr。　Parnell　at　the　banquet　held　in　the　Great　Hall　of

the　Exhibition　at　Cork。　　Mr。　Parnell　asked；　with　much　reason；　why

manufactures　should　not　be　established　and　encouraged　in　the

South　of　Ireland；　as　in　other　parts　of　the　country。　　Why　should

not　capital　be　invested；　and　factories　and　workshops　developed；

through　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　kingdom？　　〃I　confess；〃　he

said；　〃I　should　like　to　give　Ireland　a　fair　opportunity　of

working　her　home　manufactures。　　We　can　each　one　of　us　do　much　to

revive　the　ancient　name　of　our　nation　in　those　industrial

pursuits　which　have　done　so　much　to　increase　and　render　glorious

those　greater　nations　by　the　side　of　which　we　live。　　I　trust　that

before　many　years　are　over　we　shall　have　the　honour　and　pleasure

of　meeting　in　even　a　more　splendid　palace　than　this；　and　of

seeing　in　the　interval　that　the　quick…witted　genius　of　the　Irish

race　has　profited　by　the　lessons　which　this　beautiful　Exhibition

must　undoubtedly　teach；　and　that　much　will　have　been　done　to　make

our　nation　happy；　prosperous；　and　free。〃



Mr。　Parnell；　in　the　course　of　his　speech；　referred　to　the

manufactures　which　had　at　one　time　flourished　in　Irelandto　the

flannels　of　Rathdrum；　the　linens　of　Bandon；　the　cottons　of　Cork；

and　the　gloves　of　Limerick。　　Why　should　not　these　things　exist

again？　　〃We　have　a　people　who　are　by　nature　quick　and　facile　to

learn；　who　have　shown　in　many　other　countries　that　they　are

industrious　and　laborious；　and　who　have　not　been　excelled

whether　in　the　pursuits　of　agriculture　under　a　midday　sun　in　the

field；　or　amongst　the　vast　looms　in　the　factory　districtsby　the

people　of　any　country　on　the　face　of　the　globe。〃＇1＇　　Most　just

and　eloquent！



The　only　weak　point　in　Mr。　Parnell's　speech　was　where　he　urged

his　audience　〃not　to　use　any　article　of　the　manufacture　of　any

other　country　except　Ireland；　where　you　can　get　up　an　Irish

manufacture。〃　　The　true　remedy　is　to　make　Irish　articles　of　the

best　and　cheapest；　and　they　will　be　bought；　not　only　by　the

Irish；　but　by　the　English　and　people　of　all　nations。　

Manufactures　cannot　be　〃boycotted。〃　　They　will　find　their　way

into　all　lands；　in　spite　even　of　the　most　restrictive　tariffs。　

Take；　for　instance；　the　case　of　Belfast　hereafter　to　be　referred

to。　　If　the　manufacturing　population　of　that　town　were　to　rely

for　their　maintenance　on　the　demand　for　their　productions　at

home；　they　would　simply　starve。　　But　they　make　the　best　and　the

cheapest　goods　of　their　kind；　and　hence　the　demand　for　them　is

world…wide。



There　is　an　abundant　scope　for　the　employment　of　capital　and

skilled　labour　in　Ireland。　　During　the　last　few　years　land　has

been　falling　rapidly　out　of　cultivation。　　The　area　under　cereal

crops　has　accordingly　considerably　decreased。＇2＇　　Since　1868；　not

less　than　400；000　acres　have　been　disused　for　this　purpose。＇3＇　

Wheat　can　be　bought　better　and　cheaper　in　America；　and　imported

into　Ireland　ground　into　flour。　　The　consequence　is；　that　the　men

who　worked　the　soil；　as　well　as　the　men　who　ground　the　corn；　are

thrown　out　of　employment；　and　there　is　nothing　left　for　them　but

subsistence　upon　the　poor…rates；　emigration　to　other　countries；

or　employment　in　some　new　domestic　industry。



Ireland　is　by　no　means　the　〃poor　Ireland〃　that　she　is　commonly

supposed　to　be。　　The　last　returns　of　the　Postmaster…General　show

that　she　is　growing　in　wealth。　　Irish　thrift　has　been　steadily　at

work　during　the　last　twenty　years。　　Since　the　establishment　of

the　Post　Office　Savings　Banks；　in　1861；　the　deposits　have

annually　increased　in　value。　　At　the　end　of　1882；　more　than　two

millions　sterling　had　been　deposited　in　these　banks；　and　every

county　participated　in　the　increase。＇4＇　　The　largest

accumulations　were　in　the　counties　of　Dublin；　Antrim；　Cork；　Down；

Tipperary；　and　Tyrone；　in　the　order　named。　　Besides　this　amount；

the　sum　of　2；082；413L。　was　due　to　depositors　in　the　ordinary

Savings　Banks　on　the　20th　of　November；　1882；　or；　in　all；　more

than　four　millions　sterling；　the　deposits　of　small　capitalists。　

At　Cork；　at　the　end　of　last　year；　it　was　found　that　the　total

deposits　made　in　the　savings　bank　had　been　76；000L；　or　an

increase　of　6；675L。　　over　the　preceding　twelve　months。　　But　this

is　not　all。　　The　Irish　middle　classes　are　accustomed　to　deposit

most　of　their　savings　in　the　Joint　Stock　banks；　and　from　the

returns　presented　to　the　Lord　Lieutenant；　dated　the　31st　of

January；　1883；　we　find　that　these　had　been　more　than　doubled　in

twenty　years；　the　deposits　and　cash　balances　having　increased

from　14；389；000L。　at　the　end　of　1862；　to　32；746；000L。　at　the　end

of　1882。　　During　the　last　year　they　had　increased　by　the　sum　of

2；585；000L。　　〃So　large　an　increase　in　bank　deposits　and　cash

balances；〃　says　the　Report；　〃is　highly　satisfactory。〃　　It　may　be

added　that　the　investments　in　Government　and　India　Stock；　on

which　dividends　were　paid　at　the　Bank　of　Ireland；　at　the　end　of

1882；　amounted　to　not　less　than　31；804；000L。



It　is　proper　that　Ireland　should　be　bountiful　with　her　increasing

means。　　It　has　been　stated　that　during　the　last　eighteen　years

her　people　have　contributed　not　less　than　six　millions　sterling

for　the　purpose　of　building　places　of　worship；　convents；　schools；

and　colleges；　in　connection　with　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　not

to　speak　of　their　contributions　for　other　patriotic　objects。



It　would　be　equally　proper　if　some　of　the　saved　surplus　capital

of　Ireland；　as　suggested　by　Mr。　Parnell；　were　invested　in　the

establishment　of　Irish　manufactures。　　This　would　not　only　give

profitable　occupation　to　the　unemployed；　but　enable　Ireland　to

become　an　increasingly　exporting　nation。　　We　are　informed　by　an

Irish　banker；　that　there　is　abundance　of　money　to　be　got　in

Ireland　for　any　industry　which　has　a　reasonable　chance　of

success。　　One　thing；　however；　is　certain：　　there　must　be　perfect

safety。　　An　old　writer　has　said　that　〃Government　is　a　badge　of

lost　innocence：　　the　palaces　of　kings　are　built　upon　the　ruins　of

the　bowers　of　paradise。〃　　The　main　use　of　government　is

protection　against　the　weaknesses　and　selfishness　of　human

nature。　　If　there　be　no　protection　for　life；　liberty；　property；

and　the　fruits　of　accumulated　industry；　government　becomes

comparatively　useless；　and　society　is　driven　back　upon　its　first

principles。



Capital　is　the　most　sensitive　of　all　things。　　It　flies　turbulence

and　strife；　and　thrives　only　in　security　and　freedom。　　It　must

have　complete　safety。　　If　tampered　with　by　restrictive　laws；　or

h